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When the days are cold and fresh tomatoes disappear from markets, most cooks accept that great tomato sauce is a summer thing. But Miyoko Schinner proves that you can still make an incredible winter pasta sauce with tomatoes you picked months earlier.
Schinner, known for her YouTube channel The Vegan Good Life with Miyoko, recently shared a video showing how she turns frozen summer tomatoes and smoky mushrooms into a deeply comforting winter pasta sauce. The technique is simple and requires no canning at all. Instead, she freezes whole ripe tomatoes and transforms them into a sweet, smoky pasta dish when winter arrives.
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Schinner has long been a major figure in plant-based cooking. She founded Miyoko’s Creamery and helped popularize artisan vegan cheeses in the United States. Through her books and videos, she continues to share practical techniques that make plant-based cooking feel accessible and comforting.
This recipe blends nostalgia and simplicity. The dish combines summer tomatoes, smoked shiitake mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, and pasta. The result is rich, savory, and layered with umami.
Freezing tomatoes to preserve summer flavor
The foundation of Schinner’s winter pasta sauce starts months before winter even begins.
Instead of canning tomatoes, she simply freezes them whole at peak ripeness. She explains that this captures their flavor in the easiest possible way.
After pulling them from the freezer, Schinner briefly soaks the tomatoes in hot water. This softens the skins so they can be removed easily before cooking. The tomatoes remain partially frozen when they go into the pan, but that does not matter.
Once they hit a hot cast-iron skillet with olive oil and garlic, they begin to thaw and collapse.
“I know that looks pretty funny, doesn’t it? A bunch of frozen tomatoes in a pan,” Schinner says. “But believe it or not, this is going to start cooking down, and you won’t be able to tell the difference between a fresh tomato sauce in the summer and one in the winter.”
As the tomatoes soften, she mashes them directly in the pan. Within about 20 minutes, they break down into a naturally sweet sauce that tastes like peak summer.
Smoking the shiitake mushrooms
What makes this pasta dish unique is the smoky element. Schinner adds smoked shiitake mushrooms to give the sauce depth and umami.
She starts with whole shiitake mushrooms, trimming the tough tips of the stems but keeping the rest because they add a meaty texture.
The mushrooms are tossed with olive oil and salt before being placed in a stovetop smoker. Wood chips are added to the bottom of the smoker to create the smoke.
If you do not own a smoker, Schinner says a pot or Dutch oven works too. The key is creating a chamber where smoke can circulate around the mushrooms.
“You can just use a good pot with a tight-fitting lid and put a steamer basket in it,” she explains. “Or another dish.”
The mushrooms sit above the wood chips while smoke fills the pot. She smokes them for roughly 25 to 30 minutes. The process gives the mushrooms an intense smoky aroma and deep savory flavor.
When they come out, the mushrooms are sliced and added to the tomato sauce. The result is a rich contrast between sweet tomatoes and smoky umami.
Schinner jokes about the flavor comparison while describing the mushrooms.
“Oh my god,” she says. “It must be like pancetta or guanciale or whatever. I’ve never had any of those, but it’s so meaty and smoky.”
Building the sauce in the pan
Once the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens, Schinner adjusts the seasoning with olive oil and salt.
She notes that the sweetness of the sauce comes directly from the tomatoes themselves.
“It’s so ridiculously sweet,” she says. “The tomatoes are picked at the height of summer, and I’ve captured all the flavors right here.”
The smoked shiitake slices are then stirred into the sauce, creating a rich combination of sweet, smoky, and savory flavors.
Finishing the pasta the right way
Schinner cooks the pasta separately but avoids draining it in a colander. Instead, she lifts it straight from the pot and places it directly into the sauce.
The small amount of pasta water that clings to the noodles helps loosen and emulsify the sauce.
She also emphasizes that the pasta should be slightly undercooked when it goes in.
“It was very, very al dente,” she says. The pasta finishes cooking in the sauce itself, absorbing more flavor as it rests.
Once everything is combined, the smoked mushrooms, sweet tomato sauce, and pasta create a simple but deeply satisfying dish.
A comforting meal during difficult times
For Schinner, the dish is more than just a practical cooking trick. She frames the recipe as a small act of comfort in uncertain times. The warmth of pasta and tomato sauce, she suggests, can offer a moment of calm during global turmoil. After tasting the finished dish, she reflects on the emotional side of cooking.
“I feel better already, and I hope you do too,” she says. “I send you my love, my support. Whatever you’re going through, the fight has just begun, and we will be on the right side of history.”
She adds that one day, people will gather again to celebrate with another great plate of pasta. For now, this smoky, sweet winter pasta sauce offers a reminder that even simple meals can provide comfort when it is needed most.
For more of Schinner’s healthy plant-based recipes visit her YouTube channel.
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